It's Okay to Cry
by Insanecat6
Summary: Roxas' brother passes away. Axel comforts him. Tribute to my Great-Grandmother. RIP


**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts.

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It wasn't raining.

Most of the time, Roxas would have considered that a good thing, but not today. No, today Roxas felt that the sky should be crying as much as he was inside. After all, how can there still be sunshine when the sunniest person he'd ever known was gone?

It all started just over a week ago, he had gotten a call from his parents while at college that his younger brother Sora was in the hospital with a sudden illness that his grieving mind couldn't really recall. They had asked him to come home. That was the first sign that things weren't going to end well.

When he had arrived, Axel had picked him up from the airport. While seeing his best friend was nice, it just made him more concerned. The fact that his parents weren't willing to leave Sora's side at the hospital to come pick him up meant that things might take a turn for the worse at any time.

Axel had taken him directly to the hospital before even dropping off his things. Sora had tried to smile when he saw him, but it ended up looking more like a grimace of pain. He looked terrible. Instead of the light tan Sora always had from being outside all the time he looked as pale as a sheet. His eyes were sunken in and had dark shadows under them. His face was taught and he overall just look sick and weak and in pain.

They had talked for a while, trying to keep the conversation cheerful although the permeating sense of doom in the air made it almost impossible. His family all stayed by Sora's side until visiting hours were over and they had to leave.

Axel had come back to pick him up then. It had been decided that he would be staying at Axel's apartment for the time being sense Axel lived on the main island where the hospital was. His parent's house was on the residential island and it would take over an hour to reach the hospital if something sudden happened. They themselves were staying at a friend's house to be closer to Sora.

During Roxas' stay, Axel mostly left him to himself. Conversation was kept at a minimum and the longest they were together was the car trips to and from the hospital. Otherwise contact between them was limited to quick glances and comforting touches. It was weird not hearing his best friend's smart remarks all the time but Roxas appreciated the gesture. He really didn't think he could handle any of Axel's jibs right now.

A few days passed as such. The only real change from day to day was that Sora steadily became more and more sick. He was constantly coughing and sleeping all the time. Things weren't looking good for him.

And then, one day it happened. Sora's friends Riku and Kairi had cut their morning classes to come and visit him that day. They were all talking about how they used to play on the play island as kids. Kairi had suggested they go over there after Sora got better. Sora had loved the idea. It seemed he was really excited to get a chance to get out in the sun again. Finally, Riku and Kairi had to leave to get to their afternoon classes. Apparently they had tests so they weren't able to cut those too.

After they were gone, Sora had been really tired. It seemed getting so excited had taken a lot of his energy. And so he had closed his eyes to take and nap…

…and never opened them again.

About ten minutes after he had fallen asleep his heart flat lined. The doctors were unable to do anything to bring him back.

His mother had wept hysterically that day, his father seemed anger, and Roxas just felt dead inside. He couldn't accept the fact that his little brother, the person that could cheer up anyone with just his ever present smile, was gone.

They held the funeral two days later, on Friday. The cemetery was beautiful, with fresh green grass and overlooking the ocean. The residential and play islands could be seen to the right while straight ahead there was nothing but endless blue. Sora would've liked it.

After the service, Roxas walked down to the beach. He stared out to sea blankly, his mind finally realizing that Sora was never coming back. Roxas couldn't picture what life would be like without Sora. He had always been such a constant for him. His perky attitude…his happy smile…all that was gone. It was as if someone had taken away the sun.

The sky should be crying for its loss, and so should he. But the sky stayed clear and sunny, and his eyes stayed dry. He couldn't bring himself to cry, not yet.

He stayed on the beach for hours, just standing there, staring. He didn't even realize that any time had passed. He probably would've just stayed there all night and not even noticed if Axel hadn't come.

"Hey" Axel greeted him. Roxas turned to look at what had disturbed him and only then realized it was already sunset.

"Hey" Roxas said back.

"You okay?" Axel asked, concerned.

"Yeah" Roxas replied, looking back out to sea. Axel simply nodded in confirmation, turning to look at the sea himself.

They stood there in silence together for a few minutes before Roxas decided to speak again.

"You know, it's funny. I know that he's gone, but I still feel like I could go home and he would be there to greet me with one of his tackle hugs, just like he always did, you know?" He looked back to Axel again.

Axel just looked him in the eye, remaining quiet and waiting for him to continue. After a few seconds, he did.

"It feels like someone took away the sun or something. It's painfully obvious but you still want to deny as much as possible. You want to be able to just wake up and it just be there again, just like it always was. But no matter how many times you wake up it's still gone." Here Roxas took a deep breath, trying to keep his composure.

"I just can't imagine that he's really gone, but at the same time, I know he is. I'll never be able to see Sora's smiling face again." Roxas looked Axel straight in the eye now. Axel could see that he was holding back tears.

He sighed and step forward, embracing Roxas in his arms. Roxas was surprised at first, but then he heard Axel whisper in his ear.

"It's okay to cry you know. You don't have to try and act so strong." And just like that, Roxas broke down. He buried his face into Axel's shoulder and cried.

Axel just continued to hold him, petting his hair and soothing him. It was then that Roxas realized that he would be fine, even without Sora around.

The sun might have been gone, but the moon could be just as beautiful.

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A/N:

Today, June 15, 2010, early in morning, my Great-Grandmother passed away at the age of 96. While I was not there myself, she was surrounded by family and loved ones when she passed. I wrote this as a tribute to her and as an outlet for some of my grief. For anyone who watches my writing, I'll hopefully have something a bit more cheerful up later this summer, but for now I felt this needed to be written. Any feedback is appreciated. Thank you for reading. 


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